Alwoeth sewel



A. SEWEL. FIRE ALARM.

(No Model.)

No. 359,694. Patented Mar.22, 1887.

UNITE STATES n'rnivr @rrrca,

ALXVORTH SEWEL, OF BEBRYVILLE, ARKANSAS.

FlRE=ALARlVL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,694, dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed Apr-i114, 1986. Serial X0. 198.52. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALwonrH SEwEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berryville, in the county of Carroll. and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Alarms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in firealarm devices, and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts comprised therein, substantially as hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan View of a fire-alarm embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a central sectional view on the line :10 a of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts, A. designates an automatic fire-alarm device.

A designates the frame thereof, consisting of a transverselyextending sill, a, provided at its opposite ends with uprights a, connected together at their tops by a timber, a", the ends a of which project at each side beyond the uprights a at each side of the frame.

B B designate timbers secured in a horizontal plane to the uprights a, near the bottoms thereof and transversely of the machine.

0 G designate shafts journaled in boxes 0 upon the projecting portions of the timbers B B, at each side of the uprights a, one of which shafts projects at one end beyond the outer surface of the timber B, and is provided with a crank, c, for a purpose hereinafter described. Each of said shafts C C is provided at one end within the timber B with a. spur-gear wheel, D D, the teeth of which engage. (See Fig. 3.)

EE designate flat bars that project through apertures 6, formed through the shafts G 0, near the middles thereof. These flat bars or plates are carried by the rotary shafts, and are adapted to alternately strike the vibrating hammers of the bell to sound the alarm, and on one of its side edges the bars or plates are provided with a series of notches or recesses, into one of which takes the free end of latch 50 f. One of these latches is provided for each movements. The notched arms or plates are adj ustably secured to the rotary shafts, s that they can be extended beyond the same f0 a greater or less distance, to permit them t draw the vibrating hammers of the bell t greater or less distance away from the bell, an vary the force with which the hammer strike the bell to correspondingly vary the intensit; of the sound emitted thereby. Thus itwill b seen that when one of the plates is adjusts farther from the shaft by which it is carrie it will draw the vibrating hammer with it far ther away from the bell thanwhen the plat is shortened, so that the hammer will be im pelled toward the hell with greater velocit when released by the arm or plate, and cor sequentl y strike the hell with more force. Th bars E E are arranged to alternately strik vibrating spring-actuated bell-hammers F, S( cured within a bell, Gjitlld depending froi the timber a? of the frame A.

H designates acord that is at one end woun upon the shaft 0, and extends thence over pulley secured at any convenient point-21: for instance, the overhanging end of a timbei I, secured to the timber (L -to a weight, h, to the purpose of giving rotary motion to sai shaft 0.

h designates a cord attached at one end i the crank c, and extending thence to point in a building exposed to fire, for the purpos hereinafter described.

K designates a pawl pivoted at one end t the sill a, and engaging the teeth of one of th gear-whcels D, when desired.

The operation of my invention is as follow: The weighted cord H, being wound upon tl shaft (1, is temporarily held from unwindin by the engagement of the pawl K with the teet of the wheel D. The cord h is now passe through a loop or staple, it, on the end of ti: timber aiand extended to the desired point 2 which it is to be secured, after which the pav K is released from the wheel D, said cord now operating to prevent rotation of th shaft 0. By severing or cutting the cord h, i the event of a fire, the rotary shafts,whicl1 a1 geared together for simultaneous operatiol will be driven by the descent of the weigl and the consequent uncoiling of the cord H 0 one of the shafts. The operating arms plates E and E are rotated with the shaf and alternately strike the vibrating hammers of the bell, to insure a constant ringing alarm.

It will be seen that the rotary geared shafts are held under tension for immediate operation by the cord and the weight attached thereto, and the shafts are prevented from rotating by the cord h, whereby, when the latter is cut or severed, the weight descends to rotate the shafts simultaneously and actuate the vibrating hammers to sound the alarm.

My invention can also beadapted to serve as a burglar-alarm. In this adaptation the cord h is connected or secured to the door, window, or other place which it is desired to protect and the detent K withdrawn from the gear-wheel of one of the shafts, so that they are then controlled by the weighted cord. When the door or window is forced open or the cord cut, the strain or pull exerted by the cord on one of the shafts is released, to permit the said shaft to rotate under the descent of the weight, as will be very readily understood.

I claim 1. In an automatic fire alarm, a frame, A, having timbers l3 Bsecurod thereto, and shafts O C, j ournaled therein and provided with bellclapper-striking bars E E, said shafts being geared together and provided with means for rotating them, in combination with a bell, G, and the spring-clappers F thereof, substan tially as described.

2. The combination of the rotary shafts geared together for simultaneous operation, the adjustable plates carried by the shafts, a

bell, the vibrating hammers arranged in the path of the plates, a cord connected to one of the shafts to retard the rotation thereof, and means for revolving the shafts when the cord is released, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a rotary shaft moving a crank, an adjustable plate carried by the shaft, a bell, a vibrating hammer therefor arranged in the path of the plate, a cord connected to the crank of the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft when the cord is released, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

4. In an automatic alarm of the class described, the combination of the rotary shafts geared together for simultaneous operation, a crank secured to one of the shafts, the notched plate fitted on the shaft, a latch for adjustably connecting the said plateto its shaft, a cord connected to the crank, a detent for retaining the shafts against the rotary movement, means for revolvingthe shafts when the cord and detent are released from the crank and shafts, a bell, and the vibrating hammers therefor arranged in the path of-the plates on the shafts, all arranged and adapted for service, as herein described.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALIVORIH SEXVEL.

XVitnesses:

M. J. DOUGHERTY, S. M. J ONES. 

